Taunton pot dispensary among those provisionally approved

A proposed Taunton dispensary run by Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc., a nonprofit headed by former Congressman William Delahunt, was among 20 dispensary applications to get provisional approval Friday from the state Department of Public Health.

TAUNTON — The state on Friday gave a provisional green light to a proposed medical marijuana dispensary in Taunton.

A proposed Taunton dispensary run by Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc., a nonprofit headed by former Congressman William Delahunt, was among 20 dispensary applications to get provisional approval Friday from the state Department of Public Health. In addition to the Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts proposal for Taunton, Delahunt’s organization also got provisional approval for dispensaries in Mashpee and Plymouth.

“This is for people with debilitating conditions, and it will run in a responsible manner,” Delahunt said.

Delahunt plans to open the Taunton dispensary at 400 Revolutionary Drive. He said he became familiar with the area through his work as a lobbyist for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe. The tribe hopes to build a casino in another section of Liberty and union Industrial Park, less than a mile away.

“This is a first step, and we’ll see what happens next,” Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. said. “The voters of Massachusetts overwhelmingly supported medical marijuana, as they did in the city of Taunton. The City Council did their due diligence and relegated the facilities to industrial zones, and they will move forward with those guidelines firmly in place.”

Voters in the 2012 state election passed a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Massachusetts.

The DPH was authorized to license up to 35 dispensaries in Massachusetts, including at least one in each county. No more than five dispensaries are currently allowed in each county. The regulations call for at least one facility per county.

A Fairhaven proposal by Brighton Health Advocates Inc. was the only other application approved in Bristol County.

John Greene, who proposed opening three Greeneway Wellness Center dispensaries in Massachusetts, saw his Cambridge proposal get provisionally approved, but the DPH didn’t select his applications for Taunton or Brockton. The DPH, however, did identify Greene’s Taunton and Brockton proposals among eight invited to seek an alternate location in a county that currently lacks an approved dispensary. Berkshire, Franklin, Dukes and Nantucket counties are those without a selected dispensary.

Only applications deemed highly qualified were granted provisional approval or invited to seek an alternate location, The DPH said.

The DPH rejected 72 applications.

Delahunt’s application received a score of 160 out of a possible 163. In the application, he states the marijuana would be grown and processed at a Plymouth facility. He projects 1,814 patients would use the facility in the first year of operation.

He doesn’t plan to offer marijuana-infused edibles in his dispensaries.

“This is not going to be lollypops or brownies or anything,” he said. “This will be done in way not to provide a so-called marijuana high.”

Page 2 of 3 - Some critics of the licensure process alleged that it favored politically connected applicants, such as Delahunt. The state Republican Party issued a statement in January questioning the degree of transparency in the process, specifically alleging that DPH Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett has close ties to Delahunt.

The DPH in January appointed former health administrator Karen van Unen to be the final decision maker.

“I don’t even know the individual who made the decision,” Delahunt said. “I never made a call. I never spoke to anybody about this issue.”

The next step for Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc. will be to file a site plan with the city. The city will then hold a site plane review hearing and make a recommendation to the City Council, which will have the power to grant a special permit for a dispensary.

After seeing the detrimental impacts prescription opiate painkillers have had on the community, Delahunt, who was a district attorney before serving in Congress, said he became convinced that marijuana should have a role in medical treatment.

“I know we can’t simply ban Oxycontin and other heroin derivatives,” Delahunt said. “No one has ever died from an overdose of marijuana. What is important is the letter and spirit of law be complied with stringently.”

TAUNTON — The state on Friday gave a provisional green light to a proposed medical marijuana dispensary in Taunton.

A proposed Taunton dispensary run by Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc., a nonprofit headed by former Congressman William Delahunt, was among 20 dispensary applications to get provisional approval Friday from the state Department of Public Health.

A Fairhaven proposal by Brighton Health Advocates Inc. was the only other application approved in Bristol County.

In addition to the Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts proposal for Taunton, Delahunt's organization also got provisional approval for dispensaries in Mashpee and Plymouth.

John Greene, who proposed opening three Greeneway Wellness Center dispensaries in Massachusetts, saw his Cambridge proposal get provisionally approved, but the DPH didn't select his applications for Taunton or Brockton. The DPH, however, did identify Greene's Taunton and Brockton proposals among eight invited to seek an alternate location in a county that currently lacks an approved dispensary. Berkshire, Franklin, Dukes and Nantucket counties are those without a selected dispensary.

Voters in the 2012 state election passed a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Massachusetts.

The DPH was authorized to license up to 35 dispensaries in Massachusetts, including at least one in each county. No more than five dispensaries are currently allowed in each county. The regulations call for at least one facility per county.

TAUNTON — The state on Friday gave a provisional green light to a proposed medical marijuana dispensary in Taunton.

Page 3 of 3 - A proposed Taunton dispensary run by Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts Inc., a nonprofit headed by former Congressman William Delahunt, was among 20 dispensary applications to get provisional approval Friday from the state Department of Public Health.

A Fairhaven proposal by Brighton Health Advocates Inc. was the only other application approved in Bristol County.

In addition to the Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts proposal for Taunton, Delahunt's organization also got provisional approval for dispensaries in Mashpee and Plymouth.

John Greene, who proposed opening three Greeneway Wellness Center dispensaries in Massachusetts, saw his Cambridge proposal get provisionally approved, but the DPH didn't select his applications for Taunton or Brockton. The DPH, however, did identify Greene's Taunton and Brockton proposals among eight invited to seek an alternate location in a county that currently lacks an approved dispensary. Berkshire, Franklin, Dukes and Nantucket counties are those without a selected dispensary.

Voters in the 2012 state election passed a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Massachusetts.

The DPH was authorized to license up to 35 dispensaries in Massachusetts, including at least one in each county. No more than five dispensaries are currently allowed in each county. The regulations call for at least one facility per county.